If you are reading this blog then you may have had liability admitted on your claim and you are wondering where you will be going from here. Well, firstly, having liability admitted is the first successful step towards getting your settlement as the other side have admitted fault for your accident – so you should be pleased.
From liability being admitted, your solicitor will arrange for you to be medically examined by a suitable expert medical consultant. This medical examination should be arranged at a time and place convenient for yourself – at The Injury Lawyers we ask for the examination to be arranged with the closest consultant to you with the shortest waiting list.
Before attending your medical appointment we advise our clients to ensure they inform the medic as fully and as accurately as possible – including the full accident circumstances and the various effects the accident and injuries have had on their life. We advise this as the medical report goes into detail about these various effects and so forms the basis from which your claim can be valued.
I have gone onto list below the various aspects a medical report may cover:
- Accident circumstances – this may only be set out briefly but it should be reported accurately.
- Assess your injuries – the report will assess your injuries as a result of the accident and the report may also go into detail about when various injuries resolved and should also confirm any ongoing symptoms.
- Assess any psychological symptoms – a medic will comment upon whether you have felt shocked or shaken since the accident, and for how long. They may also comment if you have suffered anxiety since the accident, or nightmares as another example.
- Effects on work life – for example, if you have had time off work as a result of your accident, or if you have been on light duties. The doctor may also state whether this time off was reasonable given the nature and severity of your injuries.
- Effects on domestic life – the doctor may comment upon you requiring care and assistance with tasks such as cleaning and preparing meals, or with personal tasks such as washing and / or dressing.
- Effects on social life and hobbies – the doctor may comment on how often you did an activity prior to the accident, and how this changed after the accident. For example, if you have been to the gym less because the injuries are too painful to cope with whilst exercising.
- Prognosis – this is the time in which the doctor would expect you to recover.
- Recommendations – the doctor may recommend further treatment such as physiotherapy and / or further medical reports to be completed such as a psychological report.
The medical report is crucial to your case as a whole, and putting a valuation on your claim. So, if you require any further information regarding your medical report, feel free to give The Injury Lawyers a call.
